AI

I'm listening to affirmations, biblical based, this morning. Apparently, as with much these days, the narrator is a computer. Isaiah is repeatedly pronounced 'I zee uh'. Which brings me to AI.

Recently an LA writer and his costume designer wife visited Jackson. Also visiting a different day was a gentleman who works for Google, educated at one of those elite universities. I ask questions. 

 

A couple times I've been sent via email various writings and advertisements with the question: Can you tell which of these is AI and which is written by a human? 

 

Each time I've nailed AI. 

 

I've seen it repeatedly lately, people in various businesses employing AI rather than flesh and blood. 

 

Verbose.

 

Especially when I know individuals, but not limited to knowledge of someone, the writing is verbose. Excessively so even for verbose. 

 

I understand gathering one’s thoughts with AI. I can't tell you what ChatGPT looks like. I've been sent a link but didn't click it. I thought about it. It's just not me. I would feel like a cheater. My thoughts on this are simple. If words aren't ready to write, I close my computer. My best writing often comes as I lay my head to rest at night. Ha! If I do nothing else, I type the words into Notes or Reminders for use the next time I'm ready to write. 

 

Thesaurus is my best and favorite tool. As is dear Webster. Reading diverse authors, I learn so much from reading others' words. 

 

My writing is based solely on life experiences. It's easy to write when life dictates the story.

 

My voice is unique. Depending on subject matter or deepness or shallowness of subject matter my voice may change a bit, it's me. The voice is mine. Grammatical and spelling blunders, all of them are mine. 

 

I've no doubt AI can and will mimic voices like mine.

 

An agent for a lovely writer invited me to her public event a couple years ago. The writer had and continues to live an extraordinarily unique, funny, beautiful, sometimes serious life. Her education is vast and unconventional in many ways. More conventional is her Ivy League education. She has words and uses them well. But it's her life experiences that make me smile and teaches me. 

 

During Q&A someone asked about grammar and punctuation, full sentences, all the things. Her response was perfect something to the effect of know the rules. It's important to know the rules. But never be bound by the rules.

 

Often writing on the fly, I read back over personal musings and cringe. It's nothing that can't be fixed to perfection, but I often don't have time to correct whatever was written in a hurry to get the words out and written. And sometimes I just don't know. I'm not perfect. It's okay. Chances are good I'll not win a Pulitzer any time soon. My words are about life, good, bad, and ugly. My hope is something I've experienced will encourage and inspire others, young and vintage alike. Life lessons. Never give up. Never quit. 

 

Back to AI. Imagine sleeping with a robot, a George Jetson type robot: cold, unresponsive, fake, no heartbeat. That's what I compare AI to. That's why I nail narratives written by AI rather than by flesh and blood. I've no doubt AI improves every day and is useful. But it reminds me of a Columbia English professor I knew years ago. He was quite pleased with his ability to vomit words, however superfluous. Once he finished his sometimes-poetic diatribes, in my mind I would think, "So all of that to say this." I'm sure he thought I was quite the goof. He's not wrong. At times. But I learned from him. I absolutely, genuinely love a good wordsmith. I want to be better, do better. 

 

You be you. 

 

Use tools but don't let them take your voice. 

 

You are better than anything fake. 

 

Those who are wise in their own mind often develop these things. It's never good in the end. 

 

You be you.